American journal of surgery
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Surgical training in the United Kingdom and Europe is in transition given the pressure to decrease the number of workweek hours and the numbers of years in training. To achieve this shortened training in the United Kingdom, the primary component will be the foundational education, which will last for 2 years, with the second year perhaps counting toward specialist training. ⋯ During the foundation period there is exists the question of assessment, so this might be a natural point at which to preselect these students. This article considers psychometric assessment as a methodology of preselecting surgeons and considers objective assessment as a possibility during the foundational education period.
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There is a pressing need for an intraoperative assessment tool that meets high standards of reliability and validity to use as an outcome measure for different training strategies. The aim of this study was to develop a tool specific for laparoscopic skills and to evaluate its reliability and validity. ⋯ These data indicate that GOALS is feasible, reliable, and valid. They also suggest that it is superior to the task checklist and VAS for evaluation of technical skill by experienced raters. The findings support the use of GOALS in the training and evaluation of laparoscopic skills.
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Comparative Study
Implementation of a Web- and simulation-based curriculum to ease the transition from medical school to surgical internship.
Starting a surgical internship is a stressful experience. We developed a web and simulation-based curriculum to ease this transition. ⋯ A web and simulation-based curriculum for incoming house staff is feasible. Studies are underway to validate this novel method and to expand its use for surgical education.
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Comparative Study
Influence of workers' compensation eligibility upon functional recovery 10 to 28 years after polytrauma.
Previous studies have shown that work-related injuries are often associated with inferior outcomes. The aim of the current study was to compare the long-term functional outcome after polytrauma between work-related and non-work-related injuries at a minimum follow-up of 10 years. ⋯ Polytrauma patients receiving workers' compensation achieve significantly inferior long-term outcomes than other patients. The obtained results demonstrate that psychosocial variables such as insurance status have a significant impact on the functional recovery following polytrauma.